Terms Used In Michigan Laws > Chapter 722 > Act 204 of 1994 - Office of the Child Advocate Act

• Administrative act: includes an action, omission, decision, recommendation, practice, or other procedure of the department, an adoption attorney, a child placing agency, or a residential facility, with respect to a particular child related to adoption, foster care, protective services, or juvenile justice services. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Adoption attorney: means that term as defined in section 22 of the adoption code, MCL 710. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Adoption code: means the Michigan adoption code, chapter X of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 710. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• advocate: means the individual appointed to the office of child advocate under section 3. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Central registry: means that term as defined in section 2 of the child protection law, MCL 722. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Child: means an individual under the age of 18. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Child caring institution: means that term as defined in section 1 of 1973 PA 116, MCL 722. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Child placing agency: means an organization licensed or approved by the department to receive children for placement in private family homes for foster care or adoption and to provide services related to adoption. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Child protection law: means the child protection law, 1975 PA 238, MCL 722. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Closed session: means that term as defined in section 2 of the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Complainant: means an individual who makes a complaint as provided in section 5. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Department: means the department of health and human services. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Foster care: means care provided to a child in a foster family home, foster family group home, or child caring institution licensed by the department under 1973 PA 116, MCL 722. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}
• Full investigation: means an act of fact finding, document review, or systematic inquiry or examination that occurs after the completion of a preliminary investigation. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Investigation: means either a preliminary investigation or a full investigation. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Juvenile justice services: means that term as defined in section 117a of the social welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Office: means the office of the child advocate established under section 3. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals. See Michigan Laws 8.3l
• Preliminary investigation: means an act of fact finding, document review, or systematic inquiry or examination to determine if there is a correlation between an administrative act and the death of a child or to determine if a trend or systematic issue is identified that would cause the ombudsman to open a full investigation. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• Probate: Proving a will
• Residential facility: means a facility that provides juvenile justice services and is state operated, county operated, public, private and contracted, secure, or nonsecure. See Michigan Laws 722.922
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.